Some Stuff: Looking Back Eases The Pain Of Looking Ahead.

posted by Mo Egger, ESPN1530 -

The Reds lost again last night, this time with Homer Bailey throwing batting practice to the Mets before a valiant Cincinnati comeback fell short. 7-6 was the final. The good guys are now 8-27.

Eight. And twenty-seven.

At least we got to see some familiar faces last night, with Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier making their returns.

Which means we got to play a whole new round of "remember when."

Remember when Jay Bruce hit that home run that clinched a division?

Remember when Todd Frazier won the most memorable Home Run Derby ever?

Remember when both were huge contributors to playoff teams?

Remember how the Reds had to trade both of them?

It's felt like since the bottoming-out that accompanied the removal of a manager, we've spent more time looking back than we have looking ahead. What are the main contributing factors to a season that's going nowhere? What if the Reds would've won more from 2010 through 2013? What if they'd started the rebuild on time instead of waiting a year?

And remember when Great American Ballpark was a house of hope thanks to guys like Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier?

I can reminisce with the best of them, and to be a Cincinnati sports fan these days is to re-living agonizing moments from the past that might've made the present more bearable had they gone our way. But at some point, I'd like to feel good enough about the future to make us stop talking so much about the past.

Here's some stuff...

There was about five minutes back in late March when I tried to talk myself and others into the Toronto Raptors. Those were a fun five minutes.

A few weeks later, I talked myself into a pretend bet where I'd take the NBA Eastern Conference field ahead of LeBron James. Those too were a fun five minutes.

We are witnessing history, which should be appreciated even if the Cleveland LeBrons don't win this year's NBA title. What he's doing with this year's supporting cast - dragging his teammates to a series win over a better Indiana team, then not just beating the top-seeded Raptors, but toying with them - seems to have finally brought some of his bigger skeptics and naysayers (minus this guy) over to his side. Maybe those people will never rank LeBron ahead of Michael Jordan, but they seem more willing than ever to at least admit that LeBron deserves to be in the conversation, and they'll finally acknowledge that his greatness doesn't have to come with qualifiers, "yeah, buts," or even an obligatory mention of His Airness. He's finally swung people to his side, even if they won't take his side of the tired, but relevant, LeBron or MJ debate.

And some of those people, after watching LeBron do what he's doing in the playoffs this season, might actually finally side against Michael.

Want a controversial NBA take? I think Ben Simmons is the future of the league, a player that will transcend the sport for a decade that stars with want to play with.

I don't think most of his teammates are that good.

Here's some other stuff...

I don't have any other stuff today. It's way too nice outside. I'm going to play golf, then go to a college baseball game this afternoon. Back on ESPN1530 tomorrow at noon, then at 3:05.

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